Transplant Shock?

UrbanNoir75 · Jul 21, 2011

So the 3 week old Bhut Jolokia I ordered arrived in the mail today, limpy but alive, with bare roots wrapped in a wet paper towel. I immediately potted it in a 5 gallon container (with plans to move it to a 10 gallon later) full of standard Navlet's neutral organic potting soil, watered it in, mulched the top, and stuck it under a 2' 4-bulb T5 lamp (mix of grow and bloom lights).

It seemed to look like it was wilting even worse than before. The leaves are actually worse now than when I got it just hours ago. I threw a makeshift stake in there (getting some real ones this weekend) and loosely tied it to keep it from sagging over completely. I'm a little nervous on this one, guys. Is this par for the course, or is this plant about to do a hard goodbye?

Anything else I can do to ensure it doesn't croak?

These images aren't for the squeamish:

Avon Barksdale · Jul 21, 2011

I would remove it from the light until it has some time to recover, and mist the leaves.

Jetchuka · Jul 21, 2011

It can recover from that sag in no time, i see no permanent damage either.

Aspirin water would perk it right up within hours probably. Dosage strength = 1 genuine aspirin to 1 gallon of water, or 1/2 an aspirin to 1/2 gallon of water (do the math in other words)

Then take one very small cupful of aspirin water and apply it to the root zone, then sit back and watch the magic. One small cupful is all you'll probably need and all that i would recommend.

AB also has good advice above, get it out of the bright light for a day or so till the roots recover from the beating they took. Cooler 80ish degree temps would probably help also.

Good luck.

Jonny5 · Jul 22, 2011

sometimes not the best idea to mist pepper plants, especially when they are weak from shock, it can cause fungal problems. careful not to overwater and go easy on the light as well as heat until it adjusts and try and keep it around 80 degrees until it has improved. then you can slowly move it into where you plan on it being it's home.

UrbanNoir75 · Jul 22, 2011

Thanks for the feedback all. Dividing your advice, I moved it out of the light to the garage for the time being. It's actually warmer out there than in the indoor grow area, but has the benefit of circulating air and low light. I stayed away from the misting as the leaves started looking better as I let them dry out. Also gave it a tall shot glass full of aspirin/sugar water straight down the middle (read elsewhere that sugar can help plants suffering transplant shock as well). Crossing my fingers.

Avon Barksdale · Jul 22, 2011

I don't think the risk of fungal diseases is that great indoors. Misting systems are used all the time for propagation of cuttings which are in similar shape to transplant-shocked plants, vulnerable and lacking in the ability of the roots to supply the plant with water.

Seaweed is good for shocked plants too if you have it or can get it locally. A lot of products like Liquid Karma contain seaweed or seaweed extracts too. It has a lot of hormones which promote root growth, overall plant growth, inhibit plant stress, etc.

woody3says · Jul 22, 2011

Since you have already hit it with asprin don't do anything else for now. Give it time to work it's magic. The very best advice I've learned from this site is "less IS more." Looks like a healthy plant so after it gets over it's hangover you will be in business.

rooze · Jul 22, 2011

Hope you don't mind me asking, but where did you buy "mail order superhots" ? Didn't realize this was an option.

Cheers

UrbanNoir75 · Jul 22, 2011

woody3says said:
Since you have already hit it with asprin don't do anything else for now. Give it time to work it's magic. The very best advice I've learned from this site is "less IS more." Looks like a healthy plant so after it gets over it's hangover you will be in business.

Yeah, I'm going to try to leave it alone for a while. I woke up this morning, went to the garage and noticed leaf drop on the bottom two leaves. Stem and all, it just looked like textbook leaf drop. Not sure what to make of that other than it was obviously stressed from the environment change.

rooze said:
Hope you don't mind me asking, but where did you buy "mail order superhots" ? Didn't realize this was an option.

Cheers

Got this one from a guy on ebay. There are several merchants selling them on there, but I picked his because he specified "OMRI Organic" in the title, and his description connoted a grower who knew what he was doing. It was priced reasonably at like $15 bucks + $8 for shipping, so I grabbed it.

If this thing survives, I'll likely go back to him in the future, but I should say, I really only went to him as it's getting late seasonally, and I wanted to try to grow some before the window shut for outdoor sunlight.

If you notice in those pictures, there's actually a tray of seeds germinating off to the side in that grow area. One row has Bhuts. I don't have faith I'll be able to put any of these outside for long before winter.